atx ******* me off...time to go??

[jgbailey57]

I've got a 94 SHO and I'm torn between taking the trans out for the 4th time or just trying to sell it as is. Check these for history...
http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=27203
http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=35596
I was at the junkyard and saw a 93 SHO that had a shot timing belt so I assumed the tranny was good. It had new gaskets and seals, at least the ones you could see from the outside and the trans was pretty clean so I assumed it had been rebuilt not long ago. The fluid looked and smelled new so I yanked it. I get home and put it in my car using my torque converter not knowing they were different between 93 and 94. I took it back out and found that the big splined shaft was sheared at the base. I figured no big deal, I'll just take the shaft from the 94. I also noticed that the medium sized shaft was different in size so I swapped that too. I put the trans back in the car and take it for a test drive. Man was I happy not to hear the growling on start-up. I drove it out and reverse good, 1st good, 2nd good, 3rd uh-oh 6000 on the tach. I eased in to it and it goes into OD but as soon as it thinks it needs to downshift up go the rpm's. I'm really ****** at myself for not taking it all the way apart while it was on my bench, but not seeing anything in the pan I assumed the clutches and all were good. The car has almost 200,000 miles on it, is it worth it to take it apart again and drive it or just sell it the way it is? If I do sell it, what's it worth?

 

[qiksho]

Here are your basic options:

1. Rebuild the transmission. To pay somebody to do the labor and for a rebuilt tranny is going to cost more than the car is worth. If your car is in "good" shape and doesn't have any other major issues, I personally would rebuild the tranny myself. There is a sticky under the same heading as this thread that tells you what to buy and from where. The cost for this looks to be about $600 dollars for parts. So if you have alot of free time and like this kind of work then this might be your best option.

2. Scrap it/sell it. A car that doesn't move under its own power is pretty much worthless. A good/mint condition 94 atx with 200k on it might get you 2 grand on a very good day. FWIW I bought a 93atx with half that many miles, very nice interior/exterior for 2200 about ayear ago, and I think I paid a little much for it. Without a working transmission you could probably get $400 tops for it.

3. Sell raffle tickets for a SHO beating. Sell tickets for say 2-5 dollars a pop and let people beat it with bats or whatever they wish. I have thought of this option a few times in the last couple years.

 

[voogru]

sounds like you can pull the trans out pretty fast by now, I just learned how to build the axod-e, its easy trans to take apart and build, I do have most the correct tools and a lift, but dont let your emotions and the smell of defeat kick you in the ****, sounds like you need some new clutches in direct drum, just inspect all the drums,
save a lil cash to buy a transgo kit and a clutch and gasket kit, you might be able to still use a few clutches, and just buy clutches and steels for the drum thats wiped out, look on my thred "ATX ISSUES" see the pics how I fixed the **** tubes from falling out
Javier

 

[jgbailey57]

Option 3 sounds good. I could make a little money, let out some frustrations, then sell the good parts that are left on ebay and I can put the motor in a hotrod of some sort.
I can have the tranny out in less than 2 hours now. I have no problem rebuilding the trans, I've done it before. The axod-e is a cake walk compared to a chrysler OD. I had the opportunity to check it all out when it was already halfway apart on my bench but I didn't and I think that's what ****** me off the most. I'll just bite the bullet and take it apart again. Bottom line is that I like the car and would hate to get rid of it.

 

[Blank-Disk]

sell it to a kid who's dying to have a SHO of his own.

 

[AREA 91]

Don't trash the car unless ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!!!

 

[jgbailey57]

back again... update from last time, i took the new trans back out and found that third gear clutches were bad. i took all the good parts from the two transmissions and put them all in my original case with original valve body and solenoids. i take it for a drive and it has the original problem with first gear and i get a code 645. i take just the valve body off the car because i'm positive everything else is ok and figured i'd use the other valve body. i start looking at the new valve body and find that it got chewed up from that shaft being broken so i took all of the solenoids out and put them with my original valve body. i checked the valve body and found that a few of the parts were stuck so i took it all apart and got everything moving freely. i put it back in the car and first gear works great but it's missing 2nd and OD now. i got a code 621 "shift solenoid #1 circuit failure". should i take it back apart and change shift solenoid #1 or could there be another problem?

 

[shoteen95]

i just want to say i admire you.

And i'd let you rebuild my transmission any day cause you seem to be knowledgable with this sort of thing..just had a run of bad luck with parts i'm assuming..but it sounds like your trying to keep repair costs down and i guess having problematic parts (especially if used) are be suspected.

stick with it man.

 

[V6&V8SHO]

Why did Ford have to build such a junk trans for the SHO? Oh wait I know

Ford Transmission department------> zzzzz

 

[jgbailey57]

i've been thinking. i bet i know where my problem is. it has to be the wiring or plug internal to the transmission. i had the code 621 before and changed the #1 solenioid and it fixed the problem but gave me another one. i changed the trans and it had no problem but 3rd gear was out. i put my original trans back in with new solenoids that i know were working and the old harness and i get a problem i had a while back. that wiring harness is pretty much the only thing that hasn't changed. the bad part is, the tranny has to come all the way out to change doesn't it?

 

[oh_SHO]

Can you check the harness with an ohm meter before you take it out?

 

[revhardSHO]

Go out and burn the car to the ground right now.

You've put yourself through enough pain and heartache with the thing.

I must say I would have given up quite a long time ago.

 

[jgbailey57]

i finally fixed the problem!!! i took the side pan off and found that when i put it on it cut the wire to the #1 solenoid. the only problem it has now is that it shifts REALLY hard into second gear. I'm afraid to let it shift anywhere over 2500 rpm for fear of picking the remains of whatever is left over from it exploding. it seams to get horrible gas mileage now too, i have about 80 miles of easy driving and it's sitting at about 5/8 of a tank. it's been pretty much sitting for about a year now.

 

[SeanMc]

Mine shifts hard initially into second. Usually happens in the morning when the car is cold, rest of the day, it's fine. 149,000+ miles later, it's doing the same thing, so I assume this is normal. I have a 95 ATX w/ the AXOD SHO tranny.

P.S. For work, I drive a Ford Windstar minivan, it does the same thing. Come to think of it, most of the Ford's I've driven shift hard into second.

 

[jgbailey57]

i got a little brave yesterday and let it run up to 4000rpm's before it shifted to second. it felt like the it wanted to **** the steering wheel right out of my hand. it doesn't just shift hard, it slams into second. going into third is pretty hard but not near as brutal. i was thinking on the way home what could cause the problem and i remembered that i put in between 1 and 3 quarts of atf+3. will that cause it to shift hard?

 

[hawkeye18]

line pressure's jacked up, and it's waaaaay too high... that's my guess. maybe a return spring or something in the valve body? 95% sure the problem's in the valve body...

 

[SeanMc]

Oh. Mine just does it once in the morning. Like I said, after that it shifts smoothly all day long. It's more like a hesitation going into second and then it just pops in. No slamming or anything after that.

 

[hawkeye18]

most transmissions shift a lot harder when they're cold, but they warm up pretty quick. If it shifts way too hard all the time, it's most likely line pressure. At least be happy that it's shifting too hard, not slipping